Treyarch, Raven Software, and the rest of Activision’s Call of Duty Team are gearing up to drop Season 2 of Black Ops 6’s post-launch content. It may be one of the most packed seasons for new drops we’ve seen in a while. Content will spread across Multiplayer, Warzone, and Zombies, but right now we’re just going to break down what’s coming to multiplayer with this update, including patch notes.
Season 2 has a lot of hope from the multiplayer community riding on it after a lackluster Season 1. Players were displeased with the shelling out of AI-generated images as in-game rewards, and there were significant issues with the game’s proprietary RICOCHET anti-cheat system, which led to a recent community update from the entire dev team.
Many promises about changes to RICOCHET, gameplay balance, and overall stability have been made, which is a bit of a dark cloud hanging over the launch of Season 2. The team’s prioritization of these necessary changes is affecting the content we can expect to see this season. It’s hard to know just how much content has been delayed, but even with that adjustment, there’s still just a lot to look forward to with Season 2. Let’s break it down.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Multiplayer Quality of Life Changes
Black Ops 6 Season 1 was undeniably rough, and the Call of Duty team has committed through Community Updates to quality of life improvements for Season 2 and beyond. The following upgrades are coming to multiplayer with the launch of Season 2:
- Challenge Tracking & Near Completion
- Manually track up to 10 Calling Card Challenges and 10 Camo Challenges per mode to easily keep track of Challenges you’re progressing.
- If you have fewer than 10 Calling Card Challenges or 10 Camo Challenges tracked, your nearest Challenges to completion will display in those slots instead. This should help players discover and identify Challenges they are close to completing.
- The top Tracked or Near Completion Calling Card Challenge and Camo Challenge both appear in the Lobby, as well as in-game via the Options Menu.
- Unique HUD Presets per mode
- Players will be able to set the HUD Preset settings they prefer for both Multiplayer and Zombies, keeping a unique setup per-mode without needing to change settings when switching between modes.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — New multiplayer maps
New multiplayer maps are always a highlight of new seasonal content. A fresh new battlefield to duke it out on provides a space for new strategies and metas to emerge, keeping the game from feeling stale. Treyarch has previously committed to no large maps for Black Ops 6, meaning everything announced for Season 2 falls into the small or medium map range. However, smaller maps are often delegated to the “Strike” playlists without score streaks enabled. They’re still a good time for rapid, constant engagement, even if it is harder to hit that 100-elimination goal.
Here are the five (!) new maps coming to Black Ops 6 multiplayer with Season 2.
New map: Bounty
Oh, she’s shiny. Bounty is a brand-new map coming to multiplayer that is set in a penthouse reportedly owned by a crime boss. The story goes that Black Ops 6’s Rogue Team are at the penthouse to celebrate a victory, only for a bounty placed upon them to bring chaos and gunfire to the party. Players will fight it out on the patio, awash in the sun’s first light, ricochet their favorite rounds off the gold-plated Nightclub, and do some fancy parkour from the Lobby chandeliers. An office at the back of the penthouse houses a hidden torture room, because this is Call of Duty, and a rooftop construction zone offers some unique opportunities for strategic gameplay.
It should be a good time for all the winning team. Bounty will be available in multiplayer’s Core 6v6 playlist rotations at launch.
New map: Dealership
Season 2 maps are really bringing the opulence to Black Ops 6. The second launch map, Dealership, is loaded with extravagant luxury vehicles. It’s all a front for laundering the goods of a criminal black market enterprise. The map consists of a car lot and showroom, where a well-placed explosive is likely to wreak some impressive mayhem. There is also a commissary and lounge, and an exterior courtyard with a great view so you can see the enemy helos coming for you.
If you’re a big fan of the hidden paths for RC-XD cars on Skyline and Nuketown, you’re going to love exploring the floor vents of Dealership.
Dealership will be available at launch in Core 6v6 playlists.
New map: Lifeline
Whenever a new Black Ops game releases, its not long before players start asking for Treyarch to bring back the classic boat map, Hijacked. Adrift in the ocean, Hijacked always offered some small map mayhem, but clearly it wasn’t small enough for Black Ops 6. Instead, we’re getting the even smaller boat, Lifeline.
Lifeline, like Hijacked, speeds along the ocean, but this time it is a small yacht that is partially ablaze. Unlike most other small maps, Lifeline will not be limited exclusively to Strike playlists. You’ll see this one popping up in 6v6, 2v2, and Strike when it drops at the launch of Season 2.
New map: Bullet
Boats aren’t the only vehicle that provide a potential small map battlefield. During the mid-season refresh, we can also look forward to Bullet. This brand-new map, like Lifeline, will launch as a new Strike, 2v2, and 6v6—map set on a rapidly moving bullet train. Automatic sliding doors will provide passage between each car, including a first-class lounge and dining car, to the second-class seats and the cab. If you need a moment to escape the heat, you can try your luck on the rooftop.
Remastered map: Grind
Black Ops 2 players will recognize this classic map, now freshly remastered for Black Ops 6’s Season 2 Reloaded. Grind sets amongst a skate park complete with a bowl and half pipe, indoor stadium, and a pro shop. You’ll have to wait for the midseason refresh to drop before you hit the deck and try out omnimovement on this classic map.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Multiplayer modes
It’s not enough to get some new maps, there has to be some new modes to put you through your paces, as well. Season 2 will span over Valentine’s Day, so grab your favorite duo partner and jump into some of these limited playlists.
New mode: Overdrive
Overdrive’s basis is reminiscent of the former Cranked mode but with a unique new twist. No longer are you just gunning for your own benefit, but your entire team must nab stars to score. Stars are earned based on certain medals and elimination types:
- Earn 1 star for Basic Eliminations like finishing off an enemy with body shots.
- Earn 2 stars for Core Medal Eliminations like headshots and melee attacks.
- Earn 3 stars for completing Distinguished Medal Eliminations, reserved for only the most impressive takedowns.
The stars earned then unlock new mode-specific perks:
- 1 Star: Awakened Senses: See enemies through walls and replenish your health after eliminating a target.
- 3 Stars: Physical Enhancements: Increased movement and reloading speed.
- 6 Stars: Augmented Handling: Improved hip-fire accuracy and improved sprint-to-fire and ADS speeds.
Earning all three buffs then unlocks double stars for eliminations, so you can rack up more score for your team. Overdrive will show up on featured playlists at launch.
Returning mode: Gun Game
Gun Game is coming back for Season 2, and honestly, I don’t understand why it’s just not available at launch in every Call of Duty at this point. The free-for-all mode sees players join the game with the same starting weapon. Each new elimination unlocks the next weapon, and all players in the lobby will cycle through the same 20 weapons. Whoever gets a kill with every weapon first wins.
New mode: Third Wheel Gunfight
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Call of Duty put much effort into Valentine’s Day events, but it looks like our luck is turning around this year. Season 2 will spread over February, so it’s hearts and love galore. Not everybody has a special someone to play with, though, so Third Wheel Gunfight is the mode for all of us duo squads with that one extra teammate who wants to tag along. Third Wheel Gunfight is a limited time mode that will hit playlist rotations later in Season 2.
Couples Dance Off
Grab your favorite duos partner and hit the battlefield for some 2v2 on your favorite Face Off maps and modes, including Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed. Couples Dance Off will join the playlist rotation later in Season 2 and will only be available for a limited time.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Multiplayer perks and equipment
New perk: Slipstream
Don’t think you can run fast enough in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6? How about a perk that raises your base sprint speed? It comes at the cost of your tactical sprint, but you can now find yourself moving across the battlefield a little quicker without having to remember to click the thumbstick. This new enforcer (red) perk is relegated to your third slot to equip it when it drops as an event reward during Season 2.
New perk: Hunter’s Instinct
Need a new perk for slot 2? Later in Season 2 you could possibly equip Hunter’s Instinct, a red enforcer perk that will mark the next enemy closest to you following an elimination. Keep that kill chain rolling.
New wildcard: Flyswatter
One of the best ways to rack up XP and help your team while unlocking scorestreaks for yourself is to take out enemy streaks using a launcher. However, launchers can be cumbersome — there are only two to choose from, and they typically take up your secondary weapon slot. Flyswatter is for our support besties, allowing them to replace their dedicated melee weapon (knife, baseball bat, drill) with a launcher, instead. Say goodbye to your helos and UAVs when this wildcard drops later in Season 2.
Returning scorestreak: War Machine
The classic lethal scorestreak, the War Machine, is returning to Black Ops. You’ll need to rack up 1300 score to pull out this bad boy, but it’s the ultimate anti-camper tool for clearing out teams from small rooms and buildings. Or just spawn killing, I’m not going to judge you here. The new and (maybe?) improved War Machine now launches explosive clusters and is equipped with 30 rounds fired off in 3 round bursts. The War Machine will be unlocked as an event reward during Season 2.
Returning weapon: PPSh-41
This popular SMG is making its way back to the Black Ops series during Season 2. Its high rate of fire is certain to melt even the most armored enemies. Don’t be surprised if the PPSh-41 shoots its way into the weapon meta for the hip-fire crowd pretty quickly once paired with extended mags and scavenger. The PPSh-41 will be available at launch and can be unlocked via the Season 2 battle pass.
New weapon: Cypher 091
Assault rifles and SMGs typically dominate the post-launch content. The Cypher 091 is high-powered full-auto assault rifle with a slower rate of fire balanced out with improved handling and mobility compared to others in its class. Clear iron sights, minimal muzzle smoke, and manageable recoil are going to put this one at the top of the food chain for those “Sentinel” players who like to engage from a safe corner. The Cypher 091 is available at launch as a battle pass reward.
New weapon: Feng 82
Another one for the players who aren’t trying to move too much, the Feng 82 is an aggressive LMG with a smaller than average magazine size balanced out by better accuracy and more handling. It’ll take three-to-four shots to put down an enemy with the Feng 82, but it is reliable up to 50 meters with manageable recoil if you know how to burst fire or do a little gunsmithing. The Feng 82 is available at launch as a battle pass reward.
New weapon: TR2
A new marksman rifle? In this economy? Color me surprised, but the semi-auto TR2 features best-in-class handling and a great rate of fire. Since it’s a marksman rifle, expect it to be packed with some solid precision and stopping power. It’s still best reserved for players who want to hang back and take out unsuspecting foes from a distance, but it can serve you well in close encounters in a pinch.
New weapon attachments
You can’t have new weapons without some new attachments to keep things spicy:
- Crossbow Attachment (Launch)
- Assault Rifles, SWAT 5.56 and AEK-973 Marksman Rifles, Underbarrel Attachment, Battle Pass Reward
- Full Auto Mod (Launch Window)
- AEK-973 Marksman Rifle, Fire Mod Attachment, Event Reward
- Binary Trigger (Launch Window)
- Tanto .22 SMG, Fire Mod Attachment, Event Reward
- Belt-Fed Attachment (Mid-Season)
- Three Attachments, LMGs, Magazine Attachment, Event Reward
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Multiplayer Ranked Play
A new Season of Ranked Play is kicking off, with plenty of new rewards for those who can earn their way to the top. There’s also now the option for console players to turn off crossplay with PC.
Season 2 Ranked Play rewards:
- Get 10 Wins: Pro Issue Jackal PDW Blueprint
- Get 100 Wins: “100 Season 2 Wins” Large Decal
- Silver: “Ranked Season 2 – Silver” Calling Card
- Gold: “Ranked Season 2 – Gold” Calling Card Platinum: “Ranked Season 2 – Platinum” Calling Card
- Diamond: “Ranked Season 2 – Diamond” Calling Card Crimson: “Ranked Season 2 – Crimson” Calling Card Iridescent: “Ranked Season 2 – Iridescent” Calling Card Top 250: “Ranked Season 2 – Top 250” Calling Card
- Top 250 #1 Overall: “Ranked Season 2 – Top 250 Champion” Calling Card
- Additionally, players can earn Camos to represent any Ranked Play Rank achieved in Season 02 of Black Ops 6 Ranked Play:
- Gold: Start in/above or reach Gold at any point in Season 02
- Platinum: Start in/above or reach Platinum at any point in Season 02
- Diamond: Start in/above or reach Diamond at any point in Season 02
- Crimson: Start in/above or reach Crimson at any point in Season 02
- Iridescent: Start in/above or reach Iridescent at any point in Season 02
- Top 250: Finish Season 02 in the Top 250
Multiplayer Ranked Play playlists for Season 2 include the following:
- Protocol
- Hardpoint
- Search and Destroy
- Control
- Skyline
- Hardpoint
- Search and Destroy
- Vault
- Hardpoint
- Search and Destroy
- Control
- Red Card
- Hardpoint
- Search and Destroy
- Hacienda
- Hardpoint
- Search and Destroy
- Control
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Multiplayer events
A whole slate of new events are coming to Season 2 to keep things interesting as we all grind our way to Prestige Master. The schedule for new activations includes the following events:
- The Terminator (MP, ZM, WZ)
- Activation Dates: February 6 to 20
- Total Rewards: 13, including Full Auto Mod for the AEK-973 Marksman Rifle and a PP-919 SMG Weapon Blueprint
- Collect skulls to unlock rewards. Skulls are earned via eliminations in Multiplayer and Zombies, and by eliminating players and opening caches in Call of Duty: Warzone. Earn bonus skulls for eliminating enemies with explosive or fire damage.
- Shadow Hunt (MP, ZM, WZ)
- Activation Dates: February 13 to 20
- Total Rewards: 7, including Binary Trigger Fire Mod for the Tanto .22 SMG and the TR2 Marksman Rifle
- To join Nocturne, you must first complete the challenges he has laid out before you. Don’t fail him.
- St. Patrick’s Day: Clover Craze (MP, ZM, WZ)
- [REDACTED]
- Collect four-leaf clovers for landing eliminations in Multiplayer and Zombies, and by eliminating players and opening caches in Call of Duty: Warzone. Redeem for rewards.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Operator bundles
Every Season needs its theme, and Season 2 is no exception. To match the “hunt or be hunted” theme, Black Ops 6 is embracing the ninja-core aesthetic for the newest Battle Pass. Headlined by Operator Nocturne, this blacked out operator is likely to cause some headaches for Warzone players in the future, but at least he’s got some purple glowing eyes and purple accents to keep him somewhat visible. Kind of.
In addition to Nocturne, there’s Vortex for the BlackCell crowd. This completely redacted operator is a hooded, futuristic black and orange themed operator for the Crimson One team. The only crossover bundle that has been announced so far is the return of Arnold as The Terminator.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 — Patch notes
Season 2 is a massive undertaking by the Call of Duty team to both right the wrongs of Season 1 and also to introduce new content on par with what players have been expecting from the franchise. Seasonal content for each new game is bigger and better than what came before it in a lot of ways, but the more that is added, the more potential for errors there are. It’s hard to know ahead of time exactly what effects Season 2 will have on the overall feel of Black Ops 6 and what that means going forward. In the meantime, we can pour over every little change via the patch notes:
- PROGRESSION & PRESTIGE
- Addressed an issue that was causing the “Congratulations, you’ve Mastered Prestige” screen to appear after every match for some Prestige Master players.
- Addressed an issue that would occasionally occur after Quick-Resuming Black Ops 6 that would incorrectly display all other players as Level 1 with default customization.
- Players who’ve reached Max Level will now see a reminder that they have a Prestige available after each match.
- Players who’ve reached Max Level will now see a “Prestige Available” treatment on the Prestige Tile in the Barracks Progression menu.
- Prestige Master Ribbons will now display in the player details when inspecting a player from the Lobby.
- Players can now tab between individual Prestiges (L1/R1 on PlayStation, LB/RB on Xbox) when viewing an individual Prestige’s rewards via the Prestige screen.
- The player’s current Prestige Master Ribbon and Icon milestone will now be highlighted by default whenever they enter the Prestige Master screen.
- CHALLENGES
- Challenge Tracker & Near Completion
- Manually track up to 10 Camo and 10 Calling Card Challenges.
- Untracked Slots (out of the 10) will automatically display Camo and Calling Card Challenges closest to completion.
- The Top Tracked (or Near Complete) Camo and Calling Card Challenge can be seen in the Lobby by cycling the Daily Challenge display panel The Top Tracked (or Near Complete) Camo and Calling Card Challenge can also be seen in-game by bringing up the Options Menu and cycling the Daily Challenge display panel.
- When tracking a Camo, the Weapon’s next Camo Challenge is automatically tracked and displayed. You do not need to re-track each individual Camo Challenge as you progress through Camos for a single Weapon.
- Access the “Tracked & Near Complete” list for Camos and Calling Cards from the Lobby panel
- The Calling Card Challenges “Tracked & Near Complete” list can also be accessed via the Calling Card Challenge menu.
- Addressed an issue where XP would not be rewarded Armory Challenges before opening the Armory for the first time.
- Camos & Camo Challenges
- Players can now equip any unlocked Special Camos to a Weapon as soon as they’ve unlocked any 5 Military Camos for that weapon. Previously, players needed to unlock all 9 Military Camos for at least 1 mode to equip Special Camos.
- Challenge progress bars now appear below Special Camo and Mastery Camo swatches on the Camo tab in the Gunsmith.
- The currently equipped Camo will now be highlighted by default when entering the Camo tab in the Gunsmith (if applicable).
- SOCIAL & CHANNELS
- Added a “Favorites Only” Filter to the Friends List that can be used to display only Favorite Friends.
- Player mic indicators will now appear when viewing the Party Channel or Game Channel.
- “Sort by Progression” and “Sort by Rank” will now display the applicable Level or Rank icons in the Friends List, regardless of which mode the player is viewing the Social menu from.
- Dark Ops Calling Cards that you haven’t unlocked yet yourself will no longer appear as “Classified” when viewed in another player’s Calling Card Showcase.
- Challenge Tracker & Near Completion
- WEAPONS
- Addressed an issue where Akimbo Attachments did not properly display Pros and Cons.
- Addressed an animation pop when using certain muzzle attachments with the GS45 Pistol.
- All Weapons
- Weapon motion reduction from the Dexterity perk improved from 60% to 70%.
- Weapon raise animations that play on respawn are now fully interruptible.
- Reduced bullet penetration on all surface types.
- Magazine Attachment Changes
- Fast Mag I, Fast Mag II, Fast Mag III, and Flip Mag reload times improved by 10% on all weapon classes but pistols.
- Fast Mag I and Fast Mag II reload times improved by 5% on Pistols.
- All LMG magazines with 50 rounds or less have had reload times improved by 5%.
- AS VAL default magazine reload time improved by 10%.
- Addressed an issue with Swat 5.56 Fast Mag I, it will now improve reload times as intended.
- C9 Extended Mag I: from 1.933s to 2.267s.
- Model L Extended Mag II: from 2.133s to 2.433s.
- GPMG-7 Extended Mag II: from 5.2s to 5.6s.
- GPMG-7 Extended Mag III: from 5.7s to 6.07s.
- GPMG-7 Extended Mag IV: from 6.13s to 6.47s.
- SVD Extended Mag 2: from 2.63s to 3s.
- HUD
- Addressed an issue that would occasionally incorrectly display the Field Upgrade “READY” state after respawning.
- Addressed an issue where player names would not display beside the speaker icon when speaking in a match.
- HUD Presets can now be set separately for Zombies and Multiplayer.
- PROGRESSION & XP
- Search & Destroy
- Addressed an issue that was preventing the end-of-game Match Bonus XP payout from being awarded in the following situations:
- The entire enemy team quit, ending the match
- The player did not deal any damage in the final Round
- Addressed an issue that was preventing the end-of-game Match Bonus XP payout from being awarded in the following situations:
- Search & Destroy
- Mastery Badges
- Tactical Insertion: Addressed an issue that was causing the Tactical Insertion Mastery Badge from only progressing via Revenge Kills. It will now progress when any enemy is Killed by the player shortly after they’ve respawned via a Tactical Insertion.
- The Mastery Badge for the used Weapon, Scorestreak, Field Upgrade, or Equipment will now appear correctly in Killcam and Best Plays.
- Spawns
- Spawn logic has been adjusted to continue our efforts to reduce proximity to enemies when respawning.
- Added the ability to conduct live A/B testing with spawn changes to evaluate on a smaller scale, and if results are positive, we will roll those changes out globally. This will allow us to be more agile with spawn changes.
- Modes
- Search and Destroy
- Addressed an issue where XP could not be rewarded if no damage was dealt in the final round.
- Kill Order
- Addressed an issue where the HVT icon would follow a Dreadnought called in by an active HVT.
- Free For All
- Addressed an issue where final placements were being incorrectly calculated.
- Addressed an issue where the Winner’s Circle would not consistently display the Top 3 players.
- Kill Confirmed
- Reduced the height of dog tags that are dropped in Kill Confirmed to improve player visibility.
- Control
- Protocol B zone has been moved to where Hardpoint P2 is located. After consideration, we have found this to be a more competitive location for engagements with both Attackers and Defenders.
- Search and Destroy
- Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades, and Wildcards
- Addressed an issue where Lethal and Tactical Equipment inventory was reduced when using Danger Close or Tactical Expert Wildcards and resupplying with the Scavenger Perk.
- Reduced additional Smoke Grenade given to +1 from +2 with the Tactical Expert Wildcard. (Yes, we’re annoyed by the smoke too, and will continue to evaluate.)
- Addressed an issue where Field Upgrades could not be deployed in certain scenarios while using the Prepper Wildcard.
- Addressed an issue where Gearhead Perk would not decrease the time to earn Field Upgrades.
- Decreased the amount of weapon motion when jumping, sliding, and diving with the Dexterity Perk.
- Addressed an issue where the Ninja Perk could lose functionality between respawns and round transitions, resulting in footsteps not being quieter.
- Addressed an issue where the Ninja Perk was not being applied to enemy players when spectating a teammate.
- Headshots will no longer skip Last Stand when using the Morphine Injector Field Upgrade.
- Scorestreaks
- Addressed an issue where Care Packages could be captured by teammates at the same capture rate as the owner.
- Addressed an issue where the SAM Turret could target enemy Scorestreaks that were leaving the airspace.
- Addressed an issue where the SAM Turret’s targeting laser would not be visible when tracking a target.
- Medals
- Adjusted the “Dive Shot” Medal (Kill an enemy while or shortly after diving in any direction) to be more forgiving so that Kills earned just after diving will award the Medal more consistently.
- Tuned the “Snaked” Medal (2 rapid weapon kills against enemies in different directions while on your stomach, back or side) to be more forgiving and be awarded in more situations that match the intent of the Medal.
- General
- Detailed Weapon Stats Improvements: Added new stats & refactored the layout to be data-driven.
- Addressed an issue in Theater where thrown projectiles could not be seen.
- Addressed an issue where vehicles could visually disappear for some players during gameplay.
- Training Course entry point has been moved from the playlist selection to the top right navigation panel.
- Reduced collision with teammates. This should improve the ability to maneuver around tight spaces like doorways with nearby teammates.
- Ranked Play
- Changes to cross-play have been implemented to allow players on console the ability to opt-out of cross-play.
- Demotion Protection will be active for everyone’s first 3 Ranked Play losses in Season 02, and players can expect 1 free loss per day via Daily Loss Forgiveness like in Season 01.
- The Veto Vote before Ranked Play matches will now occasionally present a choice between the 3 Ranked Play modes (Hardpoint, Control & Search and Destroy) on the same map.
- Players will notice that their personal match performance has a bigger impact on their SR gained or lost after Ranked Play matches in Season 02, especially for the lower Ranks. This should help players early in their Ranked Play Rank journey more consistently earn bigger SR payouts when they perform well, and reduce SR losses incurred after a strong personal performance in a losing effort. While this tuning will impact all Ranks, team performance and the margin of victory are still the primary consideration for SR gains and losses in Ranks Crimson and above.
- Addressed an issue that was causing all Reticles to appear unlocked in Ranked Play.
- RC-XD is restricted in Control/Hardpoint, only allowed in S&D
